Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for further development, including obtaining service records from the Veteran's Naval Reserve service and obtaining VA medical records. The Veteran is also scheduled for examinations to assess his current diabetes mellitus severity.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence showing a relationship between service and hypertension. The claim failed on the basis of lack of direct service connection.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for residuals of pancreatitis, to include left eye disability and acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as a nervous disorder), and hypertension. The Appellant did not have current diagnoses of these conditions, and there was no evidence linking them to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss and hemorrhoids, as well as his service connection claims for left lateral epicondylitis, right sided chest pain, hypertension, stomach virus/gastroenteritis, elevated liver enzymes, and prostate disability. The evidence did not support granting any of these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's conditions are related to his service and have granted service connection for all claimed disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension was incurred in service and is granted service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge (VLJ). The issues of service connection for hypertension, temporary total evaluation following surgical treatment for detached retina, and effective date for coronary artery disease are pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, including residuals of a heart attack, grade I mitral systolic murmur, hypertension, paroxysmal atrial flutter, and chest pain is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and consideration of outstanding treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder and IBS were denied. The effective dates for the grants of service connection for chronic kidney disease and gout have been granted.,Chronic kidney disease was granted secondary to hypertension, with an effective date of November 22, 2010. Gout was granted as secondary to chronic kidney disease from hypertension, with an effective date of April 30, 2010.

The Board found that the Veteran's back disorder and hypertension were not related to service, and denied both claims.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA opinion on whether the Veteran's hypertension is related to service or secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and/or PTSD. The examiner must consider any additional service treatment records and acknowledge that there is limited or suggestive evidence of an association between hypertension and exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU for the period from November 3, 2007 to August 10, 2009 due to service-connected disabilities. The Board found that his diabetes mellitus and related neuropathy, along with his low back disability, made him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD may have contributed to his death due to cardiovascular disorders, and thus grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's hypertension, headache syndrome, and pulmonary embolism are rated at their maximum levels. The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current disability manifested by fatigue, hair loss, bilateral hand tremors, or bilateral arm weakness. Service connection for cervical spine condition is granted as new and material evidence has been received.

The Veteran's claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities has been granted, effective May 31, 2012. The Veteran is now entitled to a combined 100 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, effective May 4, 2008.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II, and therefore grants service connection for hypertension on a secondary basis. The issue of chronic renal failure was not addressed in this decision.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active duty service and granted service connection for this condition. The claim of a thyroid disorder was not addressed as it did not meet the criteria for reopening.

The Board has remanded the case for a supplemental VA examiner's opinion to determine if the Veteran's current hypertension and diabetes mellitus were caused or aggravated by his service-connected sleep apnea.